Indigenous Peoples’ Limited Access to Reproductive Care
Authors: Amanda Collar
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2023)

Ideas and Opinions14 February 2023Indigenous Peoples’ Limited Access to Reproductive CareAmanda Collar, PhDAmanda Collar, PhDUniversity of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico (A.C.).Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M22-3481 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Since the leak of the Dobbs decision (Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization), there has, understandably, been a loud uproar from those who support abortion rights. Yet, even with the leak, it still felt like a gut punch when the Dobbs decision was passed down. On 24 June 2022, I was in my first clinical clerkship of medical school seeing patients in a family medicine clinic. I was in an exam room with my preceptor and a patient being seen for a routine knee injection secondary to osteoarthritis. After my watch buzzed for the sixth time in a matter of ...References1. McCullough J. At a New Mexico abortion clinic, calls flood in from Texas and wait time for appointments grows. The Texas Tribune. 1 July 2022. Accessed at www.texastribune.org/2022/07/01/new-mexico-texas-abortion/ on 29 November 2022. Google Scholar2. Glaser K, Whitehair J. Missing mifepristone at tribal health facilities serving Native Americans. Contraception. 2021;104:36-37. [PMID: 33811841] doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2021.03.027 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Lawrence J. The Indian Health Service and the sterilization of Native American women. Am Indian Q. 2000;24:400-19. [PMID: 17089462] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Arnold SB. Reproductive rights denied: the Hyde Amendment and access to abortion for Native American women using Indian Health Service facilities. Am J Public Health. 2014;104:1892-3. [PMID: 25122025] doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302084 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. American Civil Liberties Union. Access denied: origins of the Hyde amendment and other restrictions on public funding for abortion. Accessed at www.aclu.org/other/access-denied-origins-hyde-amendment-and-other-restrictions-public-funding-abortion on 29 November 2022. Google Scholar6. Schindler K, Jackson AE, Asetoyer C. Indigenous women's reproductive rights: the Indian Health Service and its inconsistent application of the Hyde amendment. Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center. October 2022. Accessed at www.prochoice.org/pubs_research/publications/downloads/about_abortion/indigenous_women.pdf on 12 January 2023. Google Scholar7. Rosay AB. Violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women and men: 2010 findings from the national intimate partner and sexual violence survey. U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice Research; 2016. Google Scholar8. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Information about mifepristone for medical termination of pregnancy through ten weeks gestation. 3 January 2023 Accessed at www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/information-about-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation on 4 January 2023. Google Scholar9. Daniel H, Erickson SM, Bornstein SS, et al; Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians. Women's health policy in the United States: an American College of Physicians position paper. Ann Intern Med. 2018;168:874-875. [PMID: 29809243] doi:10.7326/M17-3344 LinkGoogle Scholar10. Serchen J, Mathew S, Hilden D, et al; Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians. Supporting the health and well-being of indigenous communities: a position paper from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2022;175:1594-1597. [PMID: 36215716] doi:10.7326/M22-1891 LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Amanda Collar, PhDAffiliations: University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico (A.C.).Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M22-3481.Corresponding Author: Amanda L. Collar, PhD, Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC08 4720, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001; e-mail, collaral@salud.unm.edu.Author Contributions: Conception and design: A.L. Collar.Drafting of the article: A.L. Collar.Final approval of the article: A.L. Collar.Collection and assembly of data: A.L. Collar.This article was published at Annals.org on 14 February 2023. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics March 2023Volume 176, Issue 3Page: 408-409KeywordsNative American peoplePregnancyPrevention, policy, and public healthTermination of pregnancy ePublished: 14 February 2023 Issue Published: March 2023 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2023 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...